Letter to all CET students, pupils, parents and staff

I wanted to get in touch at the end of what has been a tumultuous week within our communities.

While this is a time of great uncertainty and anxiety for so many, we at the trust are very proud of the way both our students and staff have risen to the challenge posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Our students and pupils have responded well to working from home. Our staff have also adapted well to the new world as remote educators.

I want to thank each and every one of them for their dedication and determination and ability to organise so much in so little time. At CET we will always put our young people first.

This week, we have had staff volunteering at three of our schools to ensure that children of key workers have a safe and welcome environment during the day. The situation continues to change daily, we are now working as part of the Hub programme across Cumbria, information is available on our websites.

I know that our Learning Provision Teams have been working hard to ensure every child is well catered for in this period. We thank all the parents and carers for working with us during these uncertain times.

Parents and students alike are reminded that during term time staff are available to answer queries and help as best they can remotely.

We all marvel at our nurses and doctors and other key service personnel who are keeping the nation going in these most difficult times and I’m sure we can add teachers and our support staff to those we owe a debt of thanks.

I also want to address directly all our Year 11 and Year 13 students across our three secondary schools.

In normal circumstances you would now be gearing up for GCSE, BTEC and A-Level Exams. These are, of course, not normal times but that does not mean that we are any less dedicated to helping ensure our students get the best grades they possibly can.

As the way forward on assessing exam grades becomes clearer, we will be in touch to ensure all those affected have the right information. It is important you continue to work hard during this period of time.

This is a demanding time for all, but it will pass. It is our duty to ensure this current situation does not diminish all the hard work students have put in to date nor impact future study and career opportunities.

And we also want to ensure that all our Year 11s and Year 13s can, when the time is right, have the send off they deserve.

We’re all probably looking at a very different Easter break than we envisaged even a few short weeks ago. Here’s hoping that everyone gets some time to recoup, look after their loved ones and their own mental and physical health.

To all our pupils, students, staff and everyone in the communities we serve, look out for one another, stay safe and please follow the health guidelines.